9 UNU-WIDER articles, publications, projects, experts...
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Working Paper
Learning from experience: Special Economic Zones in Southern AfricaSpecial Economic Zones (SEZs) have become common across Southern Africa in the past 20 years. In line with experiences in the rest of the world, they have had at best marginal success...
Special Economic Zones Southern Africa IndustrializationPolicy seminar

Working Paper
Firm and product survival analysis: Evidence from South African tax administrative and products dataEnterprise development, especially expansion into export markets, is essential to create employment and unlock growth potential in many economies, including in sub-Saharan Africa...
Enterprises Survival analysis Firm performanceResearch Brief
Special economic zones in Zambia and South Africa: Blueprint, experiences, and outcomesEast Asia’s successful experience in accelerating the process of industrial development with SEZs paved way for the use of SEZs as policy instruments in Africa...
Special Economic Zones Agglomeration IndustrializationWorking Paper
Special economic zones and transnational zones as tools for Southern Africa’s growth: Lessons from international best practicesThe paper evaluates strategies for developing successful special economic zones and transnational zones for Southern African countries to spur growth and employment...
Special Economic Zones Spatial industrial policy GrowthWorking Paper
Special economic zones in Southern Africa: white elephants or latent drivers of growth and employment?: The case of Zambia and South AfricaThe successful use of special economic zones as economic tools for export-led industrial development in East Asia propelled a wave of similar initiatives across Africa...
Special Economic Zones Agglomeration IndustrializationResearch Brief
Solutions for designing better special economic zones programmes in AfricaSpecial economic zones (SEZ) in Africa are generally regarded as underperforming relative to their peers in the rest of the world...
Design attributes Implementation InfrastructureWorking Paper
Special economic zones in Southern Africa: Is success influenced by design attributes?Special economic zones (SEZs) in Africa are generally regarded as underperforming relative to their peers in the rest of the world. This study focuses on the design features of the SEZ in Africa that may help explain this underperformance...
Design attributes Implementation InfrastructureWorking Paper
Industrial clusters: The case for Special Economic Zones in AfricaFirms tend to cluster in close geographic proximity to each other to benefit from reduced transport costs, shared inputs, and productivity spillovers due to learning and technology transfers...
Agglomeration Special Economic Zones Spatial industrial policy